Category: Diet and Weight Loss

Fitness Tracker-Which Should You Buy?

Combine a highly evolved pedometer with a mini-computer and a virtual coach and what do you have? A fitness tracker. These high-tech gadgets contain sensors that pick up data about your body (heart rate), activity (steps taken and calories burned), sleep, and more.

With dozens on the market, how should you choose?

Mix or Match Based on Your Goals

Each device has its own combo of special features. Be on the lookout for features like these:

Fitness Tracker

Step Counter. Most devices show you the number of steps you take and how many miles that equals. If walking or running is your main exercise, this is the feature you’ll use most. Shop for devices that ask for the length of your footstep. They’ll provide the most accurate information.

Calories Burned. The harder you exercise and the more you move throughout the day the more calories you burn. Be sure to look for devices that ask for your weight and gender to get the most accurate results.

Sleep Tracker. A few devices track sleep. Most give you an indicator of how much sleep you get vs. how much you toss and turn. Getting enough sleep can help you lose weight. Too little sleep may lower your metabolism and increase your appetite.

Heart Monitor. This information will help you know when to rev up or slow down and recover. If you have heart problems or take certain blood pressure medicines, ask your doctor if checking your heart rate during exercise is a good way to measure your exercise intensity.

GPS. Some gadgets have built-in GPS to estimate your speed.

Water Resistance. Some trackers are water-resistant, so you can shower with them on, but not swim. A few specialty devices, like swimming watches, are fully waterproof. A few combine swim tracking and bike tracking.

Smartphone Tracker

Sync Technology. Want updates on the go? Look for devices that sync wireless. Others require you to plug into the jack on your smartphone or computer.

Size. Trackers come small enough to clip to your waistband. Some can fit in your pocket. Others are worn like watches. Make sure you like the design and it is comfortable.

Try Before You Buy. Since there are so many options, choice becomes confusion. Which tracker has the features that are right for you and the activities you do? If you want to try a tracker out before committing to it, I recommend Lumoid, a service that lets you try three trackers for a week for $35. Another way to try fitness tracking in general is to use a mobile app. Some apps I like are Argus, Fitbit, and Moves. If you run or bicycle a few apps are Runtastic PRO (for running), Cyclemeter (for bicycling, and Strava (for both running and cycling).

Set Your Spending Limit

In general, most trackers cost between $50. and $250.

Define your fitness goals that you would like to track, do your research, and choose your device. You will be glad you did.

I am Shirley Noah, I teach the 9 pillars for health. A step-by-step approach to good health. Let’s connect to see how I may best serve you in the near future.

Take Your Workout to the NEXT Level!

Do you go for short walks in your neighborhood, bike ride or work at the gym? Are you stalled in your progress?

Man on Exercise Ball

First, think about what you could do differently.

TYPE: What exercises are your doing? Consider some cross training and add a new activity such as biking, swimming, yoga, weight training. Test out new activities that you may not have previously considered. Enroll in a short program that you might be interested in. Try Zumba, Adventure Clubs etc.

TIME: If you jog for 20 minutes, try to keep it going for 20 minutes. If you cycle go another mile. Go farther and longer.

INTENSITY: How hard do you work? Do you reach your target heart rate? Take your maximum heart rate which is roughly 220 minus your age. Make your target heart rate zone at 50% to 85% of that. Pick up the pace or add weight resistance. Try walking at a regular speed and then step it up a notch for 5 minutes and alternate the speeds.

FREQUENCY: how many times per week do you work out? If it is three times a week, try to add alternate types of work outs on the off days. Cardio and weights, walking and cycling.

MOTIVATE: Consider a certified personal trainer or mentor. For the best results pick a partner who is slightly fitter than you are. This will motivate you to be better. If you choose give yourself a “reward” for accomplishing mini-goals. Focus on treats that not food. You could plan a special trip, spa treatment, or buy a pair of shoes. After you have met your workout goals treat yourself.

REAP THE BENEFITS: Baby steps, it is all possible if you push yourself just a little further, over and over again.

I am Shirley Noah, I teach the 9 Pillarsfor Health. A step-by-step approach to good health. Let’s connect to see how I may best serve you in the near future.

Eating Right or Exercise?

So, if you are trying to loose weight what is the best way to go about it? Most people think they will hit the gym more often. However, this usually doesn’t develop into a habit.

When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, you must understand that you can not out exercise the mouth. Diet is more important than exercise, although exercise helps optimize your health and fitness goals.

If you keep eating junk food and will not reach your dieting goals. Eating less and controlled timing of eating helps your metabolism to kick start.

“On average, people who dieted without exercising for 15 weeks lost 23 pounds; exercisers lost only six over 21 weeks. It is much easier to cut calories than to burn them off.” according to Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., a nutritionist and former director of the University of Utah Nutrition Clinic.

EXERCISE FOR SURE

Exercise vs Diet

Strive for regular exercise. It is the key to permanent, painless weight control. Regular exercise extends life-span and cuts the risk of heart attack in half! But, recent statistics from the National Institutes of Health find that 58% of adult Americans get no or little exercise. No diet will work without exercise: with it , almost every diet will. Exercise before a meal raises blood sugar levels, increases metabolism and decreases appetite for hours afterward. Even with just a slight change in eating habits, you can loos weight with a brisk hour’s walk. Aerobic exercise, combined with a low fat, low calorie, fresh foods diet is good for women.

DIET AND EXERCISE COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER

Bottom line, convert to some simple ways to begin to burn fat is to replace soda with pure water. Eat clean, pure unprocessed food. If you feed your body with real foods that contain essential proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, it will start to burn fat for fuel.

Diet accounts for 75 to 80 percent of the health benefits you get from a healthy lifestyle, including weight loss. Exercise is the ultimate complementing portion. So, walk more every day. Stand up more and engage in non-exercise movement as much as possible.

I am Shirley Noah, I teach the 9 Pillars for Health. A step-by-step approach to good health. Let’s connect to see how I may best serve you in the near future.

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